25.332.32 100th Legislative Session 51
2025 South Dakota Legislature
Senate Bill 51
SENATE ENGROSSED
Introduced by: Senator Carley
Underscores indicate new language.
Overstrikes indicate deleted language.
An Act to require the display and curricular inclusion of the Ten Commandments and 1
other documents. 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA: 3
Section 1. That a NEW SECTION be added to chapter 13-24: 4
The board of a school district shall display the Ten Commandments in each 5
classroom in each school located within the district. The display must be a poster or 6
document that is at least eight inches by fourteen inches. The text of the Ten 7
Commandments must be the focus of the poster or document and must be printed in 8
large, easily readable font. 9
The text of the Ten Commandments must be printed with the following or 10
substantially similar language: 11
(1) I AM the LORD your God, thou shalt have no other gods before me; 12
(2) Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image; 13
(3) Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; 14
(4) Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy; 15
(5) Honor thy father and mother; 16
(6) Thou shalt not murder; 17
(7) Thou shalt not commit adultery; 18
(8) Thou shalt not steal; 19
(9) Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor; and 20
(10) Thou shalt not covet. 21
Section 2. That a NEW SECTION be added to chapter 13-24: 22
The following statements must be displayed near any poster or document listing 23
the Ten Commandments pursuant to section 1 of this Act: 24 25.332.32 2 51
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Overstrikes indicate deleted language.
(1) The Ten Commandments were a prominent part of American public education for 1
almost three centuries. Around the year 1688, The New England Primer became 2
the first published American textbook and was the equivalent of a first -grade 3
reader. The New England Primer was used in public schools throughout the United 4
States for more than two hundred years to teach Americans to read and contained 5
more than forty questions about the Ten Commandments; 6
(2) The Ten Commandments were also included in public school textbooks published 7
by educator William McGuffey, a noted university president and professor. A 8
version of his famous McGuffey Readers was written in the early 1800s and became 9
one of the most popular textbooks in the history of American education, selling 10
more than one hundred million copies. Copies of the McGuffey Readers are still 11
available today; and 12
(3) The Ten Commandments also appeared in textbooks published by Noah Webster, 13
which were widely used in American public schools along with America’s first 14
comprehensive dictionary that Webster also published. His work, "Letters to a 15
Young Gentleman Commencing His Education: To Which is Subjoined a Brief 16
History of the United States," was among works that together sold more than one 17
hundred million copies for use by public school children all across the nation and 18
was still available for use in American public schools in the year 1975. 19
The size of the statements must be smaller than the text of the Ten 20
Commandments but must be large enough to be easily read. 21
Section 3. That a NEW SECTION be added to chapter 13-24: 22
The board of a school district may display the Mayflower Compact, the Magna 23
Carta, the Declaration of Independence, and other documents foundational to the legal 24
and governmental systems of the United States and this state along with the Ten 25
Commandments, as provided for in sections 1 and 2 of this Act. 26
The South Dakota Board of Education Standards shall publish on the website of the 27
Department of Education, a list of other documents that are foundational to the legal and 28
governmental systems of the United States and this state and which may be displayed 29
along with the Ten Commandments. 30
Section 4. That a NEW SECTION be added to chapter 13-24: 31 25.332.32 3 51
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Overstrikes indicate deleted language.
The board of a school district may accept donated displays that meet the 1
requirements of sections 1, 2, and 3 of this Act, or may accept donations to purchase 2
displays that meet the requirements of sections 1, 2, and 3 of this Act. 3
Section 5. That § 13-33-4 be AMENDED: 4
13-33-4. In all public and nonpublic schools located within the state there shall be 5
given regular courses of instruction in the Constitutions of the United States and the State 6
of South Dakota. Such instruction shall begin not later than the opening of the eighth 7
grade and shall continue in the high school to an extent to be determined by the South 8
Dakota Board of Education Standards 9
Each public school in this state must include, as a part of the school's history and 10
civics curriculum, instruction on the governments of the United States and this state and 11
the philosophical principles articulated by these governmental systems. The instruction 12
must cover: 13
(1) The Constitution of the United States; 14
(2) The constitution of this state; 15
(3) The Declaration of Independence; 16
(4) The Bill of Rights; 17
(5) The Ten Commandments, presented as a historical legal document, including the 18
influence of the Ten Commandments on the legal, ethical, and other cultural 19
traditions of Western civilization; and 20
(6) Other documents foundational to the legal and governmental systems of the United 21
States and this state, as determined by the South Dakota Board of Education 22
Standards. 23
Each student enrolled in a school district must receive instruction provided 24
pursuant to this section at least once between first and fourth grade, once between fifth 25
and eighth grade, and once between nineth and twelfth grade. 26
The Department of Education shall develop and provide materials to support the 27
instruction required by this section and shall make the material available to a school 28
district upon request. 29
Section 6. That § 13-24-24 be AMENDED: 30
13-24-24. For any lawsuit brought or any complaint filed against a school district, 31
an employee of a school district, the board of a school district, or a member thereof as a 32
result of a school district displaying the national motto of the United States in accordance 33 25.332.32 4 51
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Overstrikes indicate deleted language.
with § 13-24-23, or the Ten Commandments in accordance with section 1 of this Act, the 1
attorney general shall provide legal representation at no cost to the school district, 2
employee, school board, or member of the school board. 3
In addition to the expenses of representation, the state shall assume financial 4
responsibility for any other related expense incurred by the school district, an employee, 5
the board, or member thereof, including any award for monetary damages, attorney's 6
fees, and costs for which the school district, an employee, the board, or a member thereof 7
would be otherwise responsible. 8
Section 7. That § 13-24-17.1 be REPEALED. 9
An object or document containing the words of the Ten Commandments may be 10
displayed in any public school classroom, public school building, or at any public school 11
event, along with other objects and documents of cultural, legal, or historical significance 12
that have formed and influenced the legal and governmental systems of the United States 13
and the State of South Dakota. Such display of an object or document containing the 14
words of the Ten Commandments: 15
(1) Shall be in the same manner and appearance generally as other objects and 16
documents displayed; and 17
(2) May not be presented or displayed in any fashion that results in calling attention 18
to it apart from the other displayed objects and documents. 19